Service support for condensed milk cans or the like



June 17, 1941. LUCE 2,246,419

SERVICE SUPPORT FOR CONDENSED MILK CANS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 U 5 1 v 4.9 27 INVENTOR.

Ear/)7. Z are ATTORNEYS.

Jun17, 1941. EALUCE 2,246,419

SERVICE SUPPORT FOR CONDENSED MILK CANS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1939 2 She'ets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Ear/ 1,306

BY 6 ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED SERVIGE SUPPORT FOR ooNnnNsED Mira:

CANS OR THE LIKE Earl Anson Luce, Providence, R. I.

Application February 9, 1939, Serial No. 255,549

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in can opening and dispensing devices and has forone of its objects the provision of dual puncturing and pouring mechanism, and a serving receptacle adapted to receive the can operated thereon with the puncturing mechanism secured thereto.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate leakage about the can puncturing elements.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central sectional View of the serving receptacle and a preserved milk container or the like secured therein in operative position;

Fig. 2 is asectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view partly in section of the dual puncturing and pouring mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing the relative position of the elements of the can puncturing mechanism with respect to the can after operating thereon; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 4 but partly in section and showing the relative position of the puncturing mechanism prior to operating on the can secured thereto.

The particular can opening and dispersing device shown in the drawings as to its general features comprises an outer casing of a form and size to receive a container of preserved milk of any of the well known brands, and is provided with a cover hingedly secured thereto and a handle for convenience of the user. The mechanism for puncturing the can consists of an annular band of a size to loosely fit about the can and a bridge portion U-shape in form is fastened to the annular band and is provided with spaced tubular members extending therethrough and having pointed ends adapted to pierce the can, one of the tubular members providing an air vent and the other a pouring nozzle. A pair of similarly formed levers are oppositely positioned and pivotally secured to the bridge and annular band portions. To these levers there is connected a stirrup-like member which extends below and about the bottom surface of the can and is engageable therewith, whereupon a sufficient movement of the levers in a downwardly direction will cause a relative movement of the stirrup and bridge and annular band assembly towards each other, thereby forcing the tubular members carried by the bridge portion through the material of the can top. Flexible pads which may be rubber washers surround the puncturing tubular members and contact the surface of the can top and prevent leakage of the contents of the container about these openings. Abutments are provided on the levers which engage the adiaeent surface of the stirrup-like members and frictionally retain the puncturing assembly inclosed position.

After the puncturing mechanism has been operated to pierce the can top and secured in place as above stated, this assembly is positioned in the outer container in which grooves are provided for receiving the stirrup and levers which guides and positions the assembly in proper place therein. An enlarged portion in the upper part of the outer container registers with a similar enlarged portion in the cover part and provides a recess for receiving the tubular member through which the liquid is poured. A' spring clip is fixed to the inside of the cover part of the outer container and engages a post or the like secured to the bridge portion of the puncturingmechanism to detachably secure the can in place. A closure member is pivotally secured to the cover part and is arranged to register with the opening of the pouring tubular member to seal this opening to exclude the entrance of foreign matter therethrough.

Now referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the invention, the numeral 20 designates the serving receptacle within which a can M of preserved milk or the like is positioned and secured in place. This receptacle 20 has a body portion 2| preferably cylindrical in form and provided with a lip portion 22 extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom. A handle 23 for conveniently manipulating this receptacle is fastened thereto by any well known manner not shown, and a cover part 24 is hingedly secured to the body portion 2| as at 25. The cover part 24 terminates at its forward portion with edge surfaces 26 which engage the side surfaces 21 on the lip portion 22 when the cover is in close position which provides a restricted top opening 28 between the cover part and the lip portion for a. purpose to be hereinafter described. A closure member 29 pivotally secured to the cover part as at 39 is provided with an enlarged forward portion 3i adapted to close the opening 28 and. a rearwardly extending portion 32 provides a handle for manipulating the closure member to open position. A spring member 33 is positioned and arranged to engage the underneath surface of the extending portion 32 to urge the closure member into engagement with the edge surface about the opening 28.

The puncturing mechanism comprises a U- shaped bridge portion 34 secured in a convenient manner to an annular band 35 of a size to readily slip over the can to be opened. The bridge portion 34 is provided with spaced tubular members 38 and 31 extending therethrough and provided with pointed end portions 38 and 39 respectively and adapted to pierce the can top. The tubular member 36 is bent to extend at an angle from the bridge portion 34 and provides a pouring nozzle for the contents of the can and the tubular member 31 provides an air vent. In order to prevent leakage about the tubular members when inserted into the can, compressible pads 36a and 311) which may be rubber washers are placed about the tubular members and are compressible between the bridge part and the can top.

A pair of oppositely positioned levers 40 and 4| are :pivotally fixed intermediate their ends to the bridge and annular band 35 by pivot pins 42 and 43. A stirrup-like member 44 is movably secured to the levers 40 and 4| forwardly of the pivot pins 42 and 43 as at 45 and 45 and depends therefrom with its portion 4'! adapted to be engaged by the bottom surface of the can to be operated thereon. In order to further secure the can in place, a split annular member 48 of a size to receive the can is secured to key members 49 which are rotatively secured to the cross portion 41 of the stirrup member 44.

In operating the above described puncturing mechanism the levers 48 and 4| are moved upwardly as best shown in Fig. which causes a separation movement between the band. portion 35 and the parts secured thereto and annular member 48. The can to be operated on is then positioned within the annular member 48 to engage and be supported by the cross portion 41. The levers are next moved downwardly to closed position as shown in Fig. 4, which causes a relative movement of the band 35 and annular member 48 towards each other a distance sufficient to cause the pointed tubular members 36 and 3! to pierce the can top.

The now punctured can with the puncturing mechanism secured thereto is inserted into the body 2| of the receptacle 28 with the levers and side portions of the stirrup member 44 received and guided in the recesses 58 formed in the body portion 20. In this position the tubular member 36 will register with the opening 28 and with its outer upper edge surface flush with the edge surface of the opening 28. A post 5| having a concave surface 52 is fixed to the bridge part 34. A spring clip 53 is secured to the underneath surface of the cover 24 and has sides converging towards each other which frictionally engage the concave surface 52 of the post 5| when the cover is in closed position which detachably secures the complete assembly together.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape and size may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Iclaim:

A service device for canned milk comprising a tubular supporting shell member for the can, pointed plunger tubes to puncture said can, manually operated lever means to operate said plunger tubes, a supporting member for said tubes, attached to a circular sliding member guided by the outer upper edge of can, a ring to hold lower end of can in position, pull wires to connect the upper andlower rings by means of the operating levers, rubber washers on plunger tubes, grooves in the shell member for levers and pull wires, an extended spout tube top on the upper end of liquid pouring plunger tube fitting into an extension of the supporting shell, a hinged spring- Iocked cover for the supporting shell member, a hand and spring-operated pivoted lever to-open and close the pouring tube channel of the pouring plunger tube.

EARL ANSON LUCE. 

